Improvement in pipe-wrenches



A. GAUNTT.

Improvement in Pipe-Wrench.

No. 132,571. Patented 001-. 29, 1872.

Wiimefitaefl:

c 7/zQ ZM i 3 ITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADIN GAUNTT, OF OHAGRIN FALLS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS HIS RIGHT TOIRVING W. POPE AND JOHN BLEASDALE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PlPE-WRENCl-IES.

v Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 132,571, datedOctober '29, 1872.

To all whom it mag concer'ri:

Be it known that I, ADIN GAUNTT, of Ghagrin Falls, in the county ofOuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification! Theobject of my invention is to improve that class of tools termed monkeyor pipe wrenches, the chief purpose being to construct the same of fewparts, in order to present them to the market and consumer at a reducedcost, the arrangement of parts being such that the instrument isrendered less complicated, the parts not liable to become injured bystrain, and which parts are so combined as to produce a durable andpowerful wrench, one which can be used with ease and facility, and thatwill be reliable and efiective in operation. My invention consists inhingin g or pivoting upon the adjustable slide which moves upon thestock of the wrench a bootshaped jaw in such a manner that the same, byswinging upon its bearing in the arc of a circle, can be adjusted withrespect to the stationary jaw formed on the stock of the wrench as toadmit and grasp any ordinary-sized nut,

pipe, or other article, the force applied upon the handle of the wrenchwhen in operation being transmitted to the movable jaw, and

then upon the slide, and it in turn to the stock' of the wrench, saidpressure being then arrested and confined, and not conveyed upon the nutor screw thimble that operates the movable boot-shaped jaw. The slide isconnected with a sleeve in such a manner as to be moved toward or fromthe stationary jaw so as to increase or diminish the space betweenthetwo, its fixedness being controlled by a setscrew working through itswall and impinging the stock portion of the wrench. The swingingboot-shaped jaw is regulated in height with respect to the stock of thewrench and the stationary jaw by an adjusting-screw, the object of thisarrangement being that the said swinging jaw can be made to retain afixed position when operating upon articles of uniform size or diameterand especially designed to prevent crushing.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improveduniversal wrench, I will proceed to describe its construction andoperation in detail.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side View of the improved wrench 5 andFig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the same.

Like letters refer to like parts in both figures.

A designates the stock of the wrench, the front end of which is formedwith the stationary jaw B, having the serrated faces a I), while therear portion is provided with the screwthread 0 and a handle, 0, all ofwhich are of the ordinary and well-known construction. U on this stock Ais secured a sliding collar, D, fitted so as to be advanced toward orfrom the stationary jaw B with ease and facility, and capable of beingslightly rocked or canted for apurpose hereinafter mentioned. Thissliding collar has one or more ears, d, to which is pivoted or hinged aboot-shaped jaw, E, the griping face of which is serrated, preferablyreverse to that of the jaw B, so as to insure a biting action when incontact with a nut, pipe, or other article tobe operated upon. Theslidin g collar carries the boot-shaped jaw toward and from thestationary jaw, by which means the space between the two jaws isincreased or decreased in order to admit and operate nuts, pipes, tubes,&c., of different sizes or shapes. The height of the boot-shaped jawwith respect to the stationary jaw or stock portion is regulated by anadj LlSlJlDg-SCIGW, F, so that the position of the said jaw E, which isalways free to swing on its axis, can be determined and-gaged foroperating articles of uniform size, and especially such as pipes, tubes,&c., the essential feature being to prevent crushing. The sliding collarD and the jaw E are both caused to advance toward and retreat from thestationary jaw by means of a sleeve, G,-connecting the same with theadjusting-screw thimble H working on the screw-threaded portion 0 of thestock. The slide connection G surrounds the stock A on two or moresides,

and is loosely connected with each side of the sliding collar D in anysuitable manner, preferably as shown at e e, by which means the collaris drawn back, while from the connection H laterally extend the lugs orstops f f, against which the sliding collar D, when being advancedtoward the stationary jaw, bears, said stops acting also as fulcrums forthe collar when pressure is exerted upon the swinging jaw, causing thetop or bottom of the front end of said collar to bear upon the backofthe stock, and thus not transmit pressure upon or strain theadjusting-nut or thimble H. To further efl'ect this result the face ofthe stops contiguous to the sliding collar are made of rounding form, sothat if the jaws be applied either in an upwardly or downwardlydirection the bearing efi'ect of the pressure exerted by the jaw on thecollar will be communicated to and remain on the stock of the wrenchwhile the operation of screwing or unscrewing is proceeded with. e

To enable the pivoted boot-shaped jaw to be operated by the hand when itis not desired to remove the stationary jaw out of contact with thearticle being operated upon, the same is provided with an extension, g,so that by a simple pressure of the thumb it can be swung around or outof operating contact.

To enable the sliding collar to remain at any fixed point on the stock Aso as to control and retain a uniform space between the two jaws, I havearranged a set-screw, I, so as to pass through the wall of the collarand impinge upon the stock.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. The sliding collar D,having projecting ear d and boot-shaped jaw E, in combination with thesleeve G, stock A and its jaw, the thimble H or set-screw I,substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The regulating-screw F for adjusting the swinging boot-shaped jaw E,in combination with each other and with the stock A, jaw B, sleeve G,and thirnble H or set-screw I, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The sleeve G provided with the lugs or stops f, for the purposesspecified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this3d day of October, 1872.

ADIN GAUNTT.

Witnesses:

J AMES L. Nonms, Elm. F. BROWN.

